RA, OA comorbidities
July 15, 2015
Three quarters of people with
some form of arthritis (rheumatoid,
RA or osteo OA) are also affected by
at least one other chronic condition
according to a new report from the
Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare (AIHW).
Of the 3.3 million Australians,
that is one in seven, reporting with
an arthritis in 2011-12, 2.4 million
(72.7%) also have another chronic
condition.
Cardiovascular disease was
the most common comorbidity,
occurring in 44% of people with
arthritis, followed by back problems
(29%), mental health issues (23%),
asthma (14%) and diabetes (13%).
AIHW also identified other
interesting relationships: people
with arthritis were more likely to
be current smokers (23% compared
with 16% without arthritis),
physically inactive (21% compared
with 18%) and obese (32%
compared with 22%).
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